Incredible kerela

INCREDIBLE KERALA

Day 01 Kochi

Arrive Kochi (Cochin) on the west coast of India, where you are greeted with a traditional Indian welcome on arrival at the airport and escorted to the hotel.

We leave for a guided tour of Cochin. We visit the St. Francis Church considered the first European Church in India, built in 1562 by St. Francis; this is India’s oldest European-built church. Continue on to Mattanchery Dutch Palace (closed on Friday & Public Holiday), a double-storied palace. The most important feature of Mattancherry Palace is the murals in the bedchambers, which depict scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata. These murals are some of the most beautiful and extensive, one of the wonders of India.

Proceed to the Jewish Synagogue (closed on Saturdays), which was constructed in 1568 and is the oldest in the Commonwealth. While driving along the coastline, at the Harbour’s mouth, one can also view the unique and still-in-use “Chinese Fishing Nets” which were introduced by the Chinese traders in the 14th Century. The tour ends in the Fort Kochi area where you can walk through the historical Dutch and Portuguese buildings. Some parts of this nearly 500-year-old Fort are still amazingly well preserved.

In the evening you will witness Kathakali Dance Show, India’s most spectacular Dance Drama based on stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata. The dancers are elaborately made up of paint and masks, accompanied by drummers and musicians. We reach the theatre early to get a chance to see the dancers getting ready for the show and their faces being painted.

Day 02 Kochi – Thrissur(Trichur) – 86 Kms / 02 Hrs

We drive to Thrissur. Check in at hotel upon arrival.

Thrissur (formerly Trichur) is one of the largest cities in the central part of Kerala, in southern India. It is known as the cultural capital of Kerala, with numerous temples, churches, cultural institutions, art centres, museums, etc. The City is more popular for its festivals of temples, in particular, the annual Thrissur Pooram, known as Festival of Festivals. The City is located in the exact geographical centre of Kerala.

We will visit Vadakummnathan Temple with a collection of beautiful Mural paintings, some of which are more than 400 years old, this gigantic 1000-year-old temple and historical structure is famous for the Nataraja Mural near the main gate.

We also visit Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda Museum, Situated in Thaikkattussery, near Ollur in the district of Thrissur, the Museum of Ayurveda Vaidyaratnam is one of its kind in Kerala. Showcasing a dioramic representation of the traditional growth that Ayurveda has witnessed over the years and the work has been put in by the Acharyas towards the evolution of science over the years, a museum is a perfect place for all people who are interested in this. Field of study

Day 03 Thrissur – Wayanad (196 Km / 05.5 Hrs)

The morning after breakfast you will drive to Wayanad. Check in at the hotel upon arrival.

Wayanad is a rural district in Kerala state, southwest India. In the east, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is a lush, forested region with areas of high altitude, home to animals including Asiatic elephants, tigers, leopards and egrets Rest of the day is free for independent activities at the resort

Day 04 Wayanad

After breakfast at the hotel, we leave for the sightseeing visiting Edkal Caves & Ambalayayal Heritage Museum.

Edkal Caves: The fascinating prehistoric rock etchings found on the walls of these caves have drawn the serious attention of archaeologists and historians worldwide with at least three distinct sets of petroglyphs, the earliest thought to date back over 5000 years, it is assumed that the Edakkal caves had been inhabited at various stages in history.

The name “Edakkal” literally means “a stone in between”, and this describes how the cave is formed by a heavy boulder straddling a fissure in the rock. Inside the cave is on two levels, the lower chamber measures about 18 feet long by 12 feet wide and 10 feet high and can be entered through an opening of 5 x 4 feet. A passage opposite the entrance leads upward to a small aperture in the roof through which one climbs up to the next storey whose interior is about 96 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 18 feet high. Light enters the cave through a big gap at the right-hand corner of the roof where the boulder does not touch the facing wall.

The Ambalavayal Heritage Museum, the archaeological museum in Wayanad, has one of Kerala’s largest collections of the remnants of an era dating back to the 2nd century A.D. The exhibits here are evidence of an advanced civilisation that existed in the mountains of Wayanad. The articles on display are a fascination for the historian, the archaeologist and the ordinary man alike. At the museum, you can see articles as varied as clay sculptures, ancient hunting equipment like bows and arrows, stone weapons and other curios.

Day 05 Wayanad – Palakkad (181 Km/ 05 Hrs)

In the morning we drive to Palakkad.

Palakkad, or Palghat, is a city in Kerala, a state in South Western India.

In the afternoon we visit Palakkad Fort has sturdy battlements, a moat and a Hanuman temple on its grounds. North, on the Kalpathy River, the 15th-century Viswanatha Swamy Temple is the main venue of the famous Ratholsavam chariot festival.

Day 06 Palakkad – Munnar (158 Km/ 4.5 Hrs)

We drive to Munnar and Check in at hotel…

Munnar is one of the famous hill station and a Tea Estates in Kerala. Its exotic lush greenery and craggy peaks are located in the Western Ghats offer a panoramic and breathtaking view. It serves as the commercial centre for some of the world’s largest tea estates. In addition, Munnar has many protected areas which are home to endemic and highly endangered species like the Nilgiri Thar and the Neelakurinji.

Rest of the day is free for independent activities.

Day 07 Munnar

After breakfast at the hotel, we leave for a Jeep Safari and also visit a Tea Factory. We drive through the Kanan Devan Hills tea plantations, scenic beautiful valleys, Lock heart gap, spice plantations etc, after about 25 kilometres jeep ride through the normal road we will reach the jeepable, jumpy, bumpy, rugged road to the World’s highest organic tea growing estate, it’s situated in the eastern slope of western Ghats which makes the tea very special as well the view, on our way to this estate we will have a very wide view of tea estates. The ride will be through small narrow jeepable roads with few bends, once we reach the top we will be able to see the Low land of Tamil Nadu, the second highest peak in S. India, etc., from there we will drive or walk little further to one of the oldest orthodox tea factory in this region.

After visiting the Tea Factory we will have fresh tea which is pricked, processed and made on the spot.

Soon after we will start walking to a small ground where we will have our picnic lunch near the cliff with wonderful views around. After lunch, we take our Jeep and drive back to Munnar.

Day 08 Munnar – Alleppey (168 Km/ 05 Hrs)

After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to Alleppey and board our Houseboat and sail through backwaters. The boat cruise takes you to small islets to get glimpses of the village at the best of its serenity and innocence. Watch village girls picking mussels or laundering clothes or pots on the small ponds in front of their house, while menfolk are busy plucking coconuts, dates from the trees. Watch the village folk make the golden fibre called coir from coconut husk and transform it into various coir products. Rustling coconut groves abound. So stop over to drink calm fresh coconut water from the kernel and watch the toddy-taper tap at work. You can see birds like kingfishers, pheasants, cormorants, drogues, woodpecker, Bee-eater & kite. Meals are freshly cooked and served on the houseboat

Day 09 Alleppey – Cochin (53 Km/ 1.5 Hrs)

After breakfast at the hotel, we drive to Cochin on the way to Cochin airport you will be assisted at the airport to take your flight back home.